|
Wisconsin's Groundwater |
|
9/5/01
|
MADISON — Could Wisconsin one day face serious shortages of groundwater? A series of free weeknight lectures at the University of Wisconsin-Madison this fall will consider that possibility. The public is invited. (See schedule below.)
"Will the Well Run Dry? Groundwater Management in Wisconsin" is the title of the seven-part series, which begins September 12 and concludes November 20. All of the lectures start at 7:00 p.m. in 1610 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison.
Some scientists and resource managers worry that groundwater shortages may occur as the state's population grows and global warming alters the state's climate, according to UW- Madison engineering professor Ken Potter, organizer of the lectures.
Groundwater is the primary source of drinking water for half of Wisconsin's citizens — including virtually all Dane County residents — and a critical source of water for the state's streams, lakes, and wetlands, says Potter, so shortages would create real hardship and major public-policy headaches.
Lectures in the series will address groundwater flow and quality; groundwater issues in Dane County, southeast Wisconsin, and the Green Bay area; conflicts over high-capacity wells (such as that recently sought by the Perrier Group in Adams County); and groundwater management.
Here is the schedule of topics and speakers (also available and updated on the web at http://www.ies.wisc.edu/groundwater):